In a dramatic heavyweight showdown that will be remembered for years, Fabio Wardley's trainer Ben Davison has opened up about his controversial decision not to throw in the towel during Saturday's epic battle against Daniel Dubois at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena.
The fight was a true heavyweight classic, with Wardley stunning the champion by flooring Dubois twice in the opening three rounds. But Dubois showed the heart of a champion, climbing off the canvas both times before mounting a devastating comeback that culminated in an 11th-round stoppage, handing Wardley his first professional defeat.
As the fight progressed, Dubois seized control and began landing punishing shots that left many fans and experts questioning whether the bout should have been halted earlier. The ringside doctor and referee Howard Foster checked on Wardley before rounds nine and ten, each time allowing the action to continue to the crowd's approval.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Davison addressed the controversy head-on. "Most importantly Fabio is OK," he wrote. "On last night - Firstly congrats to Dubois. Two tremendous warriors in a modern day classic. We are super proud of Fabio."
The trainer admitted he understood why some felt the fight could have been stopped earlier. "I actually agree the fight could have been stopped earlier. I did not see Fabio stumble before walking over to the doctor at the start of round 10 as ironically we was discussing with each other to 'have the towel in hand,' by which time he had gone over and seen the doctor and seemed much steadier on his legs."
Drawing on his experience training top fighters like Tyson Fury and Leigh Wood, Davison explained the difficult balancing act corner men face. "It's such a difficult job to not only find a balance but to strike at the right time to stop a fight like that at a whim when your guy is responsive and firing back."
He referenced his past decisions that drew both praise and criticism: "I've been praised for not towelling Fury (against Deontay Wilder). I was praised for not towelling Wood (against Michael Conlan). I was first criticised then later praised for towelling Wood (against Mauricio Lara)."
In those memorable fights, Fury twice rose from the canvas to earn a dramatic draw with Wilder in 2018, while Wood knocked out Conlan late in their 2022 classic before losing to Lara in 2023 and winning their rematch.
"Two occasions we looked at it," Davison concluded about Saturday's war, "but 1. the end of the round came. 2. Fabio fired back and killed Dubois' momentum."
For fight fans and athletes alike, this heavyweight battle serves as a reminder of the razor-thin margins between victory and defeat in the squared circle - and the tough decisions that define a trainer's legacy.